February 27, 2012

Saints to Play in Hall of Fame Game

Coinciding with perhaps the franchise's greatest draft pick ever being enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Saints will reportedly play an extra preseason game in 2012.

The Saints and another unnamed team will open the 2012 preseason in Canton, Ohio, the day after the enshrinement ceremonies celebrate T Willie Roaf. The Saints reportedly volunteered for the game, which means the Saints will play five preseason games instead of four.

In the past, the Hall of Fame game has been played by teams from opposite conferences who are represented in the enshrinement ceremonies. One possible candidate, Pittsburgh is being represented by Jack Butler and Dermontti Dawson in the Hall of Fame Class of 2012. The Saints and Steelers played in the Hall of Fame Game in 2007.

Roaf, the eighth overall pick by the Saints out of Louisiana Tech in 1993, played nine seasons in New Orleans and four in Kansas City. He was named to the 1990s NFL All-Decade team, and is a member of the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame.